Take me back to the summers of my youth

August 3, 2010 - Linda Lobeck

The summers of my youth were carefree and seemed to go on for a long time. It's something we looked forward to all school year and we got in as much outdoor activity as was possible.

Living so close to the water, most of my time was spent at the beach — taking swimming lesson and then hanging out with my friends swimming and laying on the beach.

We played softball, tennis, went bike riding and had picnics -- those are the memories I have of growing up.

My mom had only two rules, you must take swimming lesson in order to be at tje beach on your own and you must be home for meals. Other than that, it was freedom each and every day. I can honestly say that I have never felt that free since that time.

Responsibilities are a big reason that as adults we don't feel that carefree. We have jobs and there is the upkeep of our homes and cars to consider as well as our families. In other words, we are thinking not only of ourselves, but of others.

I look forward to next week off from work and I'm hoping to get back a small portion of that carefree feeling. Maybe it's time to spend a little time at the beach and forget about all the work that needs to be done at home. It's not something you can do every day, but having a little slice of freedom can go a long way.